A FORMER Royal Marine has said his vehicle was targeted by a gunman as chaos reigned near Kabul airport.

Paul 'Pen' Farthing, from Dovercourt, was near to the explosion close to Afghanistan's Kabul airport and has said his vehicle was targeted by a gunman amid the mayhem.

Mr Farthing who founded the Nowzad shelter in Kabul, arrived at the airport after a daring midnight mission alongside his staff and 173 animals.

Mr Farthing, who was outside the airport in a car when the incident occurred, told the PA news agency: “We’re fine but everything is chaos here at the moment.

“All of a sudden we heard gunshots and our vehicle was targeted. Had our driver not turned around he would have been shot in the head by a man with an AK-47.

“We’ve been in the airport, and back out of the airport; the whole thing’s a mess.

“There’s not much more I can say at the moment, I need to make sure the animals and everyone is safe.”

The condition of the 173 animals is currently unknown.